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Nothing hits the spot quite like that decadent treat, a Disney Cinnamon Roll. Whether you’re enjoying one of these mammoth pastries for breakfast with your coffee, or as an afternoon snack, it’s been one of my favorites forever!

Alrighty, Guys — it’s time for another fun Disney Food Blog Challenge. And this one is definitely for the grown ups!

Everyone’s aware that craft Beer has become increasingly popular. Sure, through the years, you always had the garden variety options…

Lovely Beer!

But these days, Craft Beers and International Selections are where it’s at. So we thought that it was high time we take a closer look at some of the interesting beer that you can get throughout Walt Disney World.

In the interest of interactive fun, we decided to come up with another DFB Food — er, Beverage — Crawl, dedicated to the world of beer, and all that it encompasses.

And we know that there are LOTS of you out there who are serious about your study and research of this important subject. We are in it for the fun. 😉 So we definitely want YOUR comments below on what you think the Can’t Miss Beers of Walt Disney World are!

Because this is a rather weighty subject, we’ll spread it out over a 3 day visit. But feel free to consolidate as your tolerance level allows.

Grab some beer nuts, and let’s go!

Day One: Explore Epcot

We’ll start our 3-day Beer Crawl in the best place for sampling a wide variety of food and drink — Epcot!

When beer is the main attraction of the day, it’s a good idea to get some sustenance first thing. We love to enter Epcot via the International Gateway Entrance and start our day with a stop in Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in the France Pavilion for a petit déjeuner of French Pastries and Coffee or Chocolat Chaud.

Moosehead in the Canada Pavilion

We all have our traditions, and one that we love to embrace is the First Beer of the Day in Epcot. And that honor almost always goes to Moosehead as we begin our Drinking Journey around the World! Find it at the Canada Beer Stand located near the entrance to Le Cellier Steakhouse.

The beer offerings in Canada

Stroll the area, making time to check out the Totem Poles before you head to your next stop.

Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room in the UK Pavilion

With a small breakfast and your first brew under your belt, it’s time to stop for lunch and more beer in one of our favorite Epcot dining spots.

The Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room in the UK Pavilion offers a wide array of beer and cider from the British Isles. Make your advance dining reservation ahead of time for a sit down meal, or take a gamble with finding a spot in the pub (it can get pretty crowded in there). Note that you can also get beers at a counter outside the restaurant and pub.

Sampling British beers is your goal here, so we recommend the Imperial Sampler, which normally includes pours of Bass, Harp, Strongbow, Boddington’s, and Guinness.

Imperial Sampler

Alternatively, you can choose from a long list of Pub Blends, which are half-and-half mixes of some of the beer on tap. You’ll never go wrong with a Black and Tan — half Bass Ale and half Guinness.

Of course, if you have a favorite beer among those on tap, enjoy a pint of that one instead. We especially love to order a Guinness, served with its famous Shamrock Head!

Japan

With a little lunch under your belt, it’s time to hit up the Japan Pavilion for another unique stop on your beer tour. Kirin Frozen Beer comes with a fluffy, semi-frozen head that keeps your beer cold a little longer in that warm Florida sun.

We are standing on the cusp of a brand New Year, and we can’t wait to see what 2015 holds in store for us — and Disney!

But we can’t wave goodbye to the old year without looking back on some of the biggest food news that happened throughout Disney Parks.

Most of this year’s big news happened at Walt Disney World, but we have a few memorable moments to share with you from Disneyland as well as other Disney Parks around the globe.

Today, we bring you a look back at 2014’s Biggest Disney Food News Stories! We have a LOT to cover — let’s get started!

First up, a little something I like to call…

The Beginning of Finally Doing Something with Pleasure Island

It’s the story we feel like we’ve been watching for years — what’s happening at Downtown Disney Orlando’s now defunct Pleasure Island??

Well, 2014 finally saw some solid progress, and the Disney Springs story seems to be coming to life.

An Artist’s Rendering of Disney Springs

Lots of changes have made a trip to Downtown Disney a challenge in the last couple of years. But as the year draws to a close, the parking garages are open, and we are seeing some of the plans take shape!

2014 kicked off with a surprise restaurant opening of sorts — the House of Blues added a new counter service offering, The Smokehouse. We say surprise because we told you about the restaurant for the first time just days before the walls came down and the doors opened for business!

However, no one was injured and all of the fish were reportedly rescued. We’re glad that all turned out happily in the situation, but we’ll never look at those huge fish tanks quite the same way again!

Also in the Spring, we said hello to a spot that’s quickly become one of our most favorite spots to shop in all of Walt Disney World — the Marketplace Co-op!

Disney Centerpiece

We have found some totally awesome stuff in the store’s Disney Centerpiece Section, including dishes, glasses, and other tableware that celebrate all of our Disney cult favorites. Whether you’re a Dole Whip fan or love memorabilia celebrating Tomorrowland, chances are you’ll find something that you’ve just gotta have!

While we recently bid farewell to Kouzzina at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort, we can soon welcome Trattoria al Forno to the Disney World restaurant list.

Disney’s BoardWalk

Set to open on December 18, 2014, this BoardWalk restaurant will add yet another Italian eatery to the Disney line-up. The menu includes handcrafted mozzarella (made daily), fresh cavatelli pasta, and pizzas made in the wood-burning oven. Take a look at the full menu below… .

Trattoria al Forno Menu

Dishes will include Uncle Pats Pickled Peppers, Meatball Cannelloni Basil, Lasagna Bolognese, and Chicken Parmesan. The pics below come to us from the Disney Parks Blog.

In honor of our grand launch, we have a discount option for DFB readers (as always!). You can get the new mini-guide for $3 off the regular price for a limited time — just use code MENUS at the check-out!

The DFB Guide to the 2014 Epcot Food & Wine Festival e-Book

The DFB Guide to the 2014 Epcot Food & Wine Festival e-Book features all the info you need to know before you attend the Food and Wine Festival this year, from what’s NEW this year to touring strategies — and a new section with top tips on how to use MyMagic+ at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

And with the Epcot Food & Wine festival rapidly approaching, the time is now! Booking for festival events opens July 31st at 7AM ET, and our exclusive daily schedule of events is the most efficient way to plan your festival strategy.(Did you purchase a pre-order of the DFB Guide to the 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival and not receive your book? Let us know at Support@DFBGuide.com!)

With a detailed schedule of seminars and events for every single day of the festival, it’s a quick, easy way to decide what activities and events you want to book! Don’t waste time flipping between web pages, PDFs, and websites — just find the date you need and we’ve got it all right there in front of you. Just like that!

Find Everything That’s Going On During Your Visit in our FULL Daily Schedule of Events!

As always, we’ve made this guide instantly downloadable for your convenience, and easily installed on your mobile devices. It’s a PDF guide with [Read more…]

We are getting our first details today about the restaurant that will replace Kouzzina at Disney’s BoardWalk when it closes later this year.

Trattoria al Forno will join other eateries at the deluxe hotel and entertainment district. The restaurant is slated to open this December.

The menu will feature Italian fare with an emphasis on regional specialities and classic preparations. Many ingredients will actually be made from scratch, in-house. We can’t wait to try the freshly handcrafted Mozzarella and the house-made Cavatelli!

The restaurant will also have wood-burning ovens, and they’ll put them to good use making — you guessed it! — Neapolitan-style Pizza! Will it be like Via Napoli meets the BoardWalk? Sounds good to me!

I’m Hoping for Pizzas Like the Quattro Fromaggi from Via Napoli!

But they aren’t stopping there. Eating through Trattoria al Forno’s menu will be like [Read more…]

For this round of “What’s New,” we’ve got food news (and menu changes galore) from every single Disney World park… and beyond! So settle, in, make yourselves comfy, and join us to see What’s New!

Animal Kingdom

We’ll start with the fact that Dole Whip (with or without rum, y’all) can now be found at Tamu Tamu Refreshments in Animal Kingdom’s Africa! (Yep; we’ve had confirmation from Dole that it IS indeed authentic Dole Whip Pineapple Soft Serve.)

Tamu Tamu Refreshments

Pineapple Soft-serve (Dole Whip!) menu

But we don’t want to miss the chance to mention that Tamu Tamu has also brought back some old favorites with a recent menu refresh: The Slow-cooked Pulled Beef Sandwich is back (hooray!), along with the return of the Quinoa Salad. The Roasted Chicken Salad and gorgeous Fresh Fruit Salad made the cut from the previous menu.

The Royal Anandapur Tea Company is a perfect spot to grab a cup of hot tea (assorted varieties available) or coffee. However, they’re currently offering some flavored Iced Teas in light of the warmer temps.

Royal Anandapur Tea Company Menu

Though not food-related, I’d like to offer this next picture as a small tribute. Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade wrapped up its nearly 13-year run as Animal Kingdom makes way for all sorts of new adventures. I don’t think I’m speaking solely for myself when I say this unique, beautiful and fun parade will be missed.

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade

Magic Kingdom

The Lunching Pad has added one more option to its gourmet hot dog selection: the BLT Hot Dog joins the Coney Island Dog and the Philly Cheese Steak Dog.

Lunching Pad Menu

Now, here’s something you don’t see everyday… this next bit is not a new item, but rather a new [Read more…]

Finally, Star Wars fans were excited to hear about the debut of the “Feel the Force” VIP Dining event. Click on the links below for more information on this new hard-ticketed event and more food news from Disney!

DFB Reader Finds

If you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or from Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday!

Dole Whips! This week, we’re taking a look at one of our favorite Disney treats.

Shared by DFB Reader Mary: “I knew that Dole Whips were sold at the STL zoo, but this weekend was the first time I bought one there. I had the plain pineapple one while my fiance had pineapple and raspberry swirl. They were so yummy! I can’t wait to get a Dole Whip float on our trip to WDW.”

Dole Whip at St. Louis Zoo

DFB Reporter James Armstrong spotted fun magnets while at the Dole Plantation in Hawaii.

We’ve made this guide instantly downloadable. It’s a PDF guide with photos, information, and advice on well over 150 delicious snacks (over 50 more than in our previous edition!) that you can savor in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. This guide isguaranteed to help you find the best snacks and treats for your family while visiting the Magic Kingdom, or your money back — we all know that treats at the Magic Kingdom are just as nostalgic as our first flight on Dumbo! With a 100% money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose! 🙂

The DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book includes:

Full-color photos of over 150 of our favorite snacks

Current prices and Disney Dining Plan snack credit status

Snack locations

“Hidden treats” and add-ons that aren’t published on menus or that aren’t widely known

Disney Food Blog reviews of all snacks

Tips and tricks from experienced snack eaters

Special Bonus items you’re going to love! (Of course…how could we not include these?)

Know what you’re getting BEFORE using a precious snack credit or spending limited vacation dollars. Whether you want sweet, salty, crunchy, healthy, or something in between, The DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book tells you where to find a snack to match your craving!

To thank you for your support of the blog, we’ll be offering the Guide for $2 off its already discounted purchase price for a limited time! Order your copy now for only $8.95 (regularly $10.95). The price will go up in three weeks, so grab your copy now! To secure the discount, use code MAGIC14 at the check-out.

For more detailed information and screen shots from the e-Book, head over to DFBGuide.com! With a 100% money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose! 🙂

Want Even Greater Savings? Here’s How!

Great three awesome e-Books bundled for over 30% off! Limited time only…

All three are being sold together for the first time –and for a massively discounted price. Just $35.95 instead of the regular price of nearly $60.00.

Our Snack Guides vibrantly display and review over 500 Disney World snacks (!!), but also showcase some of our favorite under-the-radar treats and eats in the parks. Get your DFB Guide & Snacks Bundle — including the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2014, the DFB Guide to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom Snacks, the DFB Guide to Epcot Snacks, and the DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks — for over 40% off here.

“We’re at the end of our contract, and Disney and I want to do more projects together. But this is a really great time for them to focus on a new concept in that space and I can focus on more restaurants around the world. It’s all good, and I’ll still be at the Epcot festival of food & wine this year.”

With official confirmation of the Kouzzina closure as of September 30th, we’re now looking forward to seeing what’s in store for this space.

Of course, there’s more! Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including restaurant closures, updates, and more!

DFB Reader Finds

If you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or from Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday!

We asked for top dining picks for Epcot, and DFB reader @dor1973 tweeted a pic from Via Napoli. It’s a priceless photo; just look at the expressions on these young diners!

Pizza!

Our readers continue to amaze us with their food photos. Jennifer tweeted “Thanks so much for your blog & tips to make my vacation better. The boozy dole whip helped too!” Great shot of spiked Dole Whip!!

An updated Disney Snacks chapter, including our list of dozens of must-try snacks AND our Top 11 Must-Have Snacks for 2014.

An updated section on birthday parties and specialty cakes in Disney World

A comprehensive, 10-page chapter of What’s New in Disney World in 2014, including new restaurants, menu updates, and more

Details about how the My Magic+ Planning System and FastPass+ will affect your vacation planning

Our picks for the 11 Great Snacks you must try this year

Scavenger Hunts, Trivia, and Top 5 List updates

Bingo Cards

Updates on all pertinent facts such as dining hours, prices, resources, phone numbers, and restaurant closures/openings

All new restaurant additions, closures, refurbishments, and added dining experiences

And much more!

But, of course we’re offering a discount for our Grand Launch week!! Again, to celebrate the launch and to thank you for your support of the blog, we’ll be offering the Guide for $4 off its standard rate for a limited time! Order your copy now at DFBGuide.com and use code: [Read more…]